3 weeks back in the UK

So..   I'm Sitting at home right now. Its a Sunday and I have been home for 3 weeks. ( I think!)

Its been 3 weeks where I have literally not sat down!

Arriving home was a good feeling!  My dad picked me up from the airport after a nightmarish trip home! I got to Frankfurt and found that I was 3 KG overweight.  The weather was about 25 Degrees C and sunny.   I was already dragging a 26KG suitcase, a seriously heavy laptop bag and a hand luggage bag too (complete with Xbox :P) and I was wearing the Usual for me - a hoodie, T-shirt, jeans and I had even put my coat on as space was lacking somewhat.

I had to lose 3KG ..  FAST.    What did I do?  I dragged out another 3 Hoodies and put them on..  it was fine, for anout 6 seconds..  then, it was hell

The Heat was dreadful. I was like a fat person in a disco.   awful..  and then, things were made several times better..  because I was going through security

"hello sir, jacket off please and all electronic devices need to be in their own tray"
"thank you sir, could you remove that hoodie please?"
"and that one"
"and..  that one..."
"and the fourth one as well please"

I think even he lost count at how many questions he had.

THEN.. they asked me where I was flying to.   "home" was a particularly unhelpful answer, but after the hoodie- ordeal that was my answer.    I then answered "Manchester, via Heathrow" and they looked at my xbox.

The nice man with lots of questions decided that it needs to be scanned for explosive materials.  My response was :

"The only thing explosive about my xbox is my performance on Call of Duty"

This was not funny to the nice man with lots of questions, and no sense of humor...

Anyway. The pain was awful.. heat and heavy bags had taken their toll , but I was finally on the plane
I got to Heathrow and there was an announcement.

DELAYED!

Balls.   I was not impressed.
Then, at the scheduled time, we were all summoned to gate A1

We were nit delayed, so we were part of a cruel joke.. 

Anyway, in time, tired, 25KG lighter after serious fluid loss, I was in Manchester. I picked up my case, and went to find Dad.  I was back in the UK



Since this journey - one that only hobbits and wizards have had more epic ones- I have had weeks of being everywhere.

I have had to repair my car - this is a whole different story, and has resulted in a new car..
I have planned, prepped, sorted, run, come home from and tidied after a Scout camp for a weekend with 60 children.
I have run a stall, with the scouts at a church fete - which i have bitched and been pissy about since because me and my scouts were treated badly, (different story)
and I have continued to run scouts and beavers, as well as buy a new car - as stated before.

Its been tough.
Germany has been in my mind though. I have been Whatsapp-ing some people and still seeing the facebook statuses of the people there. Sadly, I did not make the Matinee, which was disappointing, but it means that I will go for Kaltermarkt!   Its been 3 weeks of settling in that have been spent doing all the above, as well as the usual things like tidying and also sorting all the issues that my mother had that she could not solve, like "the TV is broken" and "why does my phone not do that?"  

But maybe, it will slow down now?  I dunno..  we shall see! 

It was going to happen Eventually...

That time has come. In 72 Hours, Ill be back in the UK.

This time, it isn't for a trip to Sunderland, its not for a Football match, or over the Christmas Holidays... This time, its more permanent that that.

I have been here, in Germany now for 9 Months, and I knew that this time would come. My God, its tough.

Thinking back, If i tried to talk to myself from 9 months ago, I would probably think I was an idiot. My German has flown along. I can remember having to describe a bowl to a woman in a shop. That was a fail. (its Schüssel, by the way!)

When I was about to leave, I didn't imagine that I would get up to much really.   I was wrong, that's for sure.    Just through reading my old blog posts, I can see that I have done plenty, and half the stuff isn't even there!

Its been an Adventure.   I have done, seen and experienced things that some people can only dream of. I have lived in what is actually a fabulous country with people who are just as kind, friendly, funny, helpful and genuine and any other person possible could be .

Whilst being here, I have gained experience, knowledge of German, social skills, skills in other areas, laughs, cries, memories and friends.

A small town, that I had to Google not so long ago, a town with more Doctors in it than London has, a town with 2 swimming pools, 3 schools and everything else and a town that has now, whether it likes it or not become a very big part of my life.

A School, in this town, a school that thousands of people have passed through, and thousands more will pass through, of which, I am one of them has not become a place where I can go should I ever need anything, and I can be sure that someone, somewhere will be able to help me, somehow.

Though Thousands have passed, and thousands will come, I was lucky enough to pass through myself in this year. With these teachers and these students.  I don't think, that if I had hand-picked the people myself, i could have chosen a better group of people.

I have laughed every single day, I have smiles every single minute, and never would I have been able to do that without the amazing people that I have sent my time with, here in Schlüchtern.


I don't think I will ever live such an amazing academic year ever again. It has been a year that I dreaded, right up until the moment that I got here, and it has been the best year of my life.

I want to thank those who have made this year so special.  They can sit and be modest and say that they did nothing, but simply by being there have they made this experience totally amazing..

Though this may be a goodbye, its not goodbye forever. I will be back and It wont just be the once. There is too much here for me to only come back once.

I hope that my legacy here wont be forgotten. I hope that whatever I have done here has helped in some way, if it has changed the lives of someone for the better, and that the laughs I have shared with the people here, can be shared with those thousand, due to pass through too.  I hope that I am not forgotten, because I will never forget you.



So Germany: Its time for me to go, and for you to stay. Thank you for the Adventure, now go have a new one.